Liu Family Ancestral Temple in Guangzhou

Liu Family Ancestral Temple in Guangzhou

The Liu Family Ancestral Temple in Guangzhou is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province and a patriotic education base.

Liu Yongfu’s Former Residence in Shahe — Liu Family Ancestral Temple, located at No. 2 Dazhoudi, Shahe, Guangzhou (now No. 2 North Guangzhou Avenue), was the residence of national hero Liu Yongfu during his tenure as an official in Guangzhou.

The Liu Family Ancestral Temple was built in 1900 and is a traditional southern-style ancestral hall constructed with blue bricks and stone bases, featuring a two-courtyard, three-bay layout. It has side chambers connected to the main structure. The overall depth is approximately 38 meters, and the width is about 36.7 meters. The front gate spans three bays with a width of 15 meters and a depth of three bays. The roof ridge features carved reliefs of phoenixes and peonies in bas-relief; it has a flush gable roof covered with gray tube tiles. The eave boards are adorned with delicate wood carvings of flowers. The gable ends display four layers of floral brick carvings, beneath which are bat and beast face motifs. The stone lintel above the front gate is inscribed with four raised regular script characters “刘氏家庙” (Liu Family Ancestral Temple) in bold Kaishu style, without any inscriptions indicating author or date. The entrance is approached by three granite steps, flanked by raised platforms with lily flower carvings on the front. Each platform has two square granite pillars, each 30 cm per side, beneath the beam brackets. Below the beam brackets are supports, and above them are stone qilin carvings holding cloud-shaped book plaques. All four pillars have column bases engraved with images of emperors, generals, and historical figures. The door frame is made of one-meter-wide granite. The stone bases of the door guardians feature carved flower stands, pine trees, and deer. The beams are adorned with intricate wood carvings of dragons, qilins, fruits, and flowers.

On both sides of the central courtyard are corridors, each supported by two square granite pillars. The corridors are connected to the inner side rooms.

The ancestral hall spans three bays in width and depth, with two additional side chambers. The main hall’s roof ridge features landscape carvings in bas-relief; the side chambers also have roof ridges with floral and bird carvings. The front pillars are square granite columns, while the rear pillars are round Eusideroxylon kwangtungense wood columns. There are four round Eusideroxylon kwangtungense pillars in the center, each bearing a pair of carved couplets. The front couplet reads: “The grace of the Minister, the literary artistry of the Scholar, leaving behind enduring tales through generations; surrounded by starry hills and cloud-wrapped rivers, this place rightly echoes with the sounds of summer.” The upper inscription reads: “The 26th year of the Guangxu reign, early autumn, auspicious day of Gengzi”; the lower inscription: “Written by Su Ruohu of Shunde” (Su Ruohu, a descendant of Su Dongpo, was a scholar and calligrapher, and a close friend of Liu Yongfu). The rear couplet reads: “Riding back from the southern lands, constructing a modest shrine to honor the ancestral spirits, daring to say our might remains on the Stone of Sha; leading troops to the capital to defend the nation, bestowing two words upon our kin, preserving loyalty and filial piety shining over Pengcheng.” The lower inscription: “Guangxu Gengzi, recorded by Yongfu.” These are couplets written by Liu Yongfu himself.

To the east of the Liu Family Ancestral Temple, a roughly 30-square-meter “Yiyong Shrine” was built at the same time to enshrine Black Flag Army soldiers who died resisting the French and Japanese. This shrine was destroyed by the Japanese army during the War of Resistance against Japan.

Liu Yongfu spent many years aiding Vietnam in resisting the French in Vietnam and developed deep affection for the Vietnamese people. He sympathized with the revolution and supported Vietnamese patriots in driving out the French and restoring Vietnam. In the 32nd year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1906), Vietnamese patriots Phan Boi Chau and Nguyen Cuong visited the Liu Family Ancestral Temple. Liu Yongfu actively supported Phan Boi Chau in organizing the Vietnamese Reform Association (renamed the Restoration Society in 1912), which aimed to expel the French and restore Vietnam. Phan Boi Chau used the Liu Family Ancestral Temple as a meeting venue to convene all party members, where the Reform Association was established and used as its headquarters.

In 1960, the Guangzhou Cultural Relics Management Committee designated the Liu Family Ancestral Temple as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit. On December 8, 1989, it was announced as a Guangzhou Municipal Cultural Relic Protection Unit. In August 2004, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic unit.

When Liu Yongfu lived in Shahe, he protected local residents from bandits and troublemakers and stopped several armed conflicts. The locals were grateful to Liu Yongfu and renamed their village Yongfu Village. Today, Guangzhou’s Shahe area still has Yongfu Village and Yongfu Road.

Liu Yongfu (1837–1917), originally named Ye, also known as Yi, with the courtesy name Yuanting, was from Xiaofeng Township, Guxindong, Fangcheng, Qinzhou (now part of Guangxi), Guangdong. In 1845, he moved with his parents to Shangsi, Guangxi (now Shangsi County), where he worked in farming. In 1852, he worked as a boatman on the Zuojiang River and learned martial arts from his father and uncles in his spare time. Soon after, both his parents passed away, and he made a living by chopping wood and fishing. In 1857, along with six fellow villagers including Deng Afu, he joined the Guangxi Tiandihui peasant uprising army and was active in Guiping (now Jingxi). In 1864, during the Taiping Rebellion... Liu Yongfu detailed information++

Linhe Subdistrict: Linhe Subdistrict was established in December 1995, formed by carving out Linhe Village from Shahe Town and parts of Shipai Subdistrict, Tianhenan Subdistrict, and Shahe Subdistrict. In 2003, the subdistrict covered an area of 3.8 square kilometers with a total population of 72,671, including 41,795 permanent residents and 30,876 temporary residents. It governs 11 community neighborhood committees: Runhe, Huashengliao, Yudongxi, Derong, Qiaoting, Yakang, Bauhinia, Tianshou, Tianshanbei... Linhe Subdistrict detailed information++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units